A rotor blade, for instance, comprises an envelope, a supporting structure and a filling material. The envelope represents an outer shell (or shroud) of the rotor blade. In other words, the envelope represents a surface of the rotor blade. The supporting structure supports a weight of the rotor blade and gives stability to the rotor blade against loads or forces exerted to the rotor blade. The envelope defines an interior of the rotor blade. The interior comprises the supporting structure and e.g. comprises the filling material.
A rotor may generally be defined as a rotating part of a mechanical device. A rotor blade, which is a part of the rotor, is for example used in a turbine engine, such as a wind turbine engine, a gas turbine engine or a water turbine engine.
The rotor blade may have a straight shape with regard to a longitudinal direction of the rotor blade. The rotor blade may also have a curved (or swept) shape.
A curved rotor blade, i.e. a rotor blade with a curved shape, for a wind turbine engine is for example known from the patent application US 20070025859 A1. One problem of prior art curved rotor blades with regard to the supporting structure is that the supporting structure follows a curvature of the curved rotor blade. If, for example, the supporting structure comprises fibre material, a problem of a curved supporting structure made of fibre material is that the fibre material may create wrinkles or bunches. This may weaken the supporting structure and as a consequence a risk of breakdown of the rotor blade exists.